Nokia convinces photographers Bruce Weber and David Bailey to try the Lumia 1020

Photographers Bruce Weber (seen snapping this shot in the mirror) and David Bailey tried out the Nokia Lumia 1020 during a shoot this summer in Harlem, New York.

Nokia is working hard to promote the imaging abilities of its 41-megapixel smartphone, the Lumia 1020. Its most recent marketing ploy was to send two famous photographers on a shoot with the device in Harlem, New York.

Nokia gave its current flagship smartphone to David Bailey and Bruce Weber, who used the Lumia 1020 for street photography during their 24-hour Harlem shoot in July.

For Weber, a fashion photographer known for his work for Calvin Klein, Vogue, Rolling Stone, GQ and Vanity Fair, it was his first time using any kind of digital camera for a shoot.

“I don’t do digital and this is the first time I have really gone out in the world and done like a digital sitting," Weber said. "I was impressed with the resolution and the beauty of the color.”

The longtime friends snapped more than 1,000 images between the two of them, according to a recent story in The Daily Mail. But it was the first time Weber, 67, and Bailey, 75, had worked together on a photography project.

Photographer David Bailey and the Lumia 1020.

Bailey, famous for his photographs of celebrities including The Beatles, Mick Jagger and Jack Nicholson, told The Daily Mail: "the level of detail you can capture using a Nokia Lumia 1020 is nothing short of breathtaking."

Nokia is sharing 60 images from the shoot online viaThe Nokia Photography Room, and is also exhibiting them at the Nicholls & Clarke Building in Shoreditch, East London. The London exhibition, entitled “Weber X Bailey by Nokia Lumia 1020,” will run until 21 September and is free to members of the public.

See what we thought of the Nokia Lumia 1020's imaging abilities in our 11-page review.

Comments

"Nokia called my rep to see if I would be interested in doing an assignment that would showcase the capability of the phone," he told Imaging Resource. "I gotta say, I was little skeptical, but I got kids to feed so I said yes."

That say it all.

Of course he adds:"But over the course of the ten days with the Nokia, I became a convert."

Obviously it's a Nokia promotion, but some fantastic shots and blown up A0 size.

Damned impressive coming from a phone and much better than anything I've seen from iPhone exhibitions, that's for sure!

I've found my next phone I think.

Of course it could be the processing, but the shots really reminded me of 35mm film blown up to that size. Certainly it doesn't have the depth of MF, but the 41Mp put some very surprising detail into these very large prints.

Certainly they break through the "good enough" barrier with ease. Maybe I can retire my X100 as my "carry everywhere" camera. I'll keep the 5D2.

They should cut it down the megapixels to HDTV res . Increase the size of the photosites spend time on trying to boost the ISO and still give a good photograph. If they can crank up the ISO and still get good quality for a multi-purpose.

no, the reason why cameras shouldn't have more megapixels is if the lens cannot resolve more detail than the sensor can handle. light sensitivity is a property of the sensor technology. if you want less noise when boosting the signal then you'd have to switch back to CCD but then you'd be unable to record HD video.

Sheesh, all this fuss remainds me when the first polaroid came out and all these trendy & fashonable photographers went into a ramp to show unusual images, while the rest of us Pro used the technology just to check the exposure & light.

Sure it may be a fun toy to play with and may be able to capture significant images, but remember the more sensors' cells you add in a confined area the more noise you record: and that's valid for the many commeents here trying to sell us this latest techno hype as a God sent gift that we would be lucky to use.

The IQ of my MF films is stll unreachable for the digital world, not to speak of the 5x7 & 7x10 "

Not very convincing looking at the output of 2 experienced photographers. I'm sure we would have seen same shots had they used an iPhone. They should have given the phones to two homeless bums experienced in the art of homlessness and then seen what they produced.

VFunct, why make such a conclusions ? It is good to have good camera on phone if the DSLR or Rangefinder is at home. I made some photos I really like on iPhone, as it was with me in the downtown... I think for this mature pros was interesting experience to shoot with digital camera on phone as they never before tried digital))) relax man))

Only amateurs shoot with dSLRs. Professionals know how to take a good picture with a camera-phone!

That is because a professional photographer gets hired/fired by their artistic skills, not technical ones.

You can tell who's a n00b at photography if they claim you need a dSLR to take a good photos. Anyone that claims they need a dSLR to take a good photograph should never be allowed to shoot a camera, because you know they suck at photography!

What a load of BS!These guys claim they never picked up a digital camera and the first thing they are Impressed about is a phone?Who believes that?Pick up a Canon or Nikon DSLR and be reallyImpressed or even a medium format digital...Money talks and BS walks...These guys have clearly sold out and it will shatter their reputation.

First time digital user review. And he discovered...yes, you can take a pic with a phone! "Look, Martha, you hold it out like this and see your subject on the screen! Remarkable! And you push this little button and it takes a picture! Just remarkable. I never knew!"

I just see interesting street photos, with story, emotion, individuality and unique and keen eye. That's why I view (and take) photos. To listen to some tech obsessed folks commenting here they would critique Cartier-Bresson into oblivion because of blown highlights that are totally irrelevant to the story image tells.

Francis, you're commenting not on DPReview main site but on Connect - DPR's offshoot specifically dedicated to mobile photography. And in any case, don't like it don't read it, nobody is forcing you. There are plenty of people who are interested in the topic and don't share your Luddite attitudes. Duh!

There seem to be three takes on this. (1) It's a phone, so it can't be good. (2) It's technology, which automatically means it's fabulous and you are a loser if you don't agree. (3) These phones aren't perfect but they are good enough for most people, most of the time. If I was selling these, I'd bank on #3.

The problem, if #3 is what you are banking on, is that they are using an operating system nobody wants. An OS that nobody is developing apps for, and phones there are such a limited number of third party accessories.

They can market the camera till the cows come home, but in the end, this device lives or dies as a Windows phone. So, the people to whom your #3 applies, are in fact going to iPhones and Android. Why? Because for photography, those iPhone and Android cameras are "good enough for most people, most of the time" - without the downside of the limited OS.

Meh, Windows Phone is fine (I have one and am an obsessed techie). Most people, beyond a small amount of fandom to make themselves feel superior when they think about it at all, aren't really going to care. 98% of the population isn't an obsessed techie that's also nerdy enough to really care what smartphone OS they use beyond "good enough".

Bailey may be non-technical where digital cameras are concerned but he's extremely open minded. I ran into him last autumn when he was out and about in London using a Panasonic M2/3 camera with the 20/1.7 mounted. He was very enthusiastic about it. That said at some point in the last half-century just about every camera manufacturer has hired him to use and enthuse about their products. 75 he may be but he's a sharp guy and absolutely bullsh!t-free.

@ariechow, You mean "someone" who's a famous well established pro photographer with a half a century experience is not qualified to review a device that captures photos? And whom you would like to do it - technical junkie hooked on forums? :)

@klopusSorry, but I do not agree. They are not qualified to review the digital camera phone when they claim they have never picked up a digital camera in their life.The obvious comparison is between 35mm or medium format film or a high end DSLR or digital back.These professionals should be endorsing camera companies with heritage like Canon or Nokia or even Olympus or Pentax . Nokia is just a phone maker who is so desperate to sell a phone with a crappy operating system that they put a 40mp camera on a phone which nobody would want otherwise. My second cell phone was Nokia, back in 1994. It was a great phone. It was still analog/digital and it was plain and simple. No Internet, no camera, no games, no text messages... just a great working phone that made Nokia number one in the world. A smart phone should be balanced. This phone is just a gimmick And very few people will actually buy it.

The saddest part is that they choose to ruin their reputation at the late stage of their life and career. They will be remembered for selling out in the end and not from their good work in the past...A disgrace, IMHO

Let me defend DPReview: they haven't ever stated the iPhone has the best camera. No sane, tech-savvy person would do the same. I kinda like my iPhone 5's camera but in no way (except for it being faster) consider it better than that of my 808 or my RX100.

It's another question they very often report on new apps / accessories for the iPhone. But that's in no way the same as stating the iPhone rocks, camera-wise.

"Just wait until Friday. The iPhone 5S is going to kick some serious "S" ;)"

Come on - you can't seriously believe that... while it's going to surely have better IQ than the 5, it still lacks a lot of essential features already present in the best alternatives; most importantly, OIS.

And if anyone asks why OIS is that important: feel free to disable OIS in, say, your 40mm equiv lens and/or dump them all and never ask for / use OIS lens / cameras again. (Because the iPhone shoots video at 40mm equiv. It's only stills that are taken at the nominal FoV.) Ready to do it?

"Even so, our sample shots still showed more noise and less detail than the same images taken with the Nokia Lumia 1020. The 5s also does a good job of reproducing color, but it’s not the best performer in this category, either. Make no mistake, though: the iPhone has been – and continues to be – great as a simple grab-and-go camera. It may not be a best-in-class performer, but the vast majority of iPhone users will still be happy."

I am enjoying the effort Nokia is putting into this phone, I think those old fellows did a Nice job. It's also very amusing Reading how irate some People are over a little sponsorship, like no other Company has ever done it.

According to Consumer Reports: "The iPhone 5 already has one of the best cameras in our Ratings, and it still takes the best video of any phone we've tested, even beating the 42-megapixel Nokia Lumia 1020."

'According to Consumer Reports: "The iPhone 5 already has one of the best cameras in our Ratings, and it still takes the best video of any phone we've tested, even beating the 42-megapixel Nokia Lumia 1020."

Or according to a paid apple fanboy? A camera with a sensor tinier than a pinhead will never gonna have a chance against Nokia pureview phones.

wow jcmarfilph, maybe I need to use my iPhone 5 more often for capturing images lol. In daylight, sure the iphone can deliver a very colorful punchy image, but when it comes to low light, the iPhone has not a chance against the 1020.

Also begs the question as Menneisyys has pointed out, where is the lossless zoom, and stereo recording microphones. Last I use my iPhone 5, it did not have either.

Consumer reports must only look at the simplicirty of using a mobile phone camera. If thats the case the iPhone wins hands down for the simpest icamera interface.

Man, the iPhone is a great phone with a good camera camera. Nokia is a great camera with a bad phone.Why would anyone buy this phone anyway? If you want a real camera, spend 300 bucks and get any of the new pocket digital cameras with 10 or 20 X optical zooms, full manual controls and real flashes and even built-in Wi-Fi.You can have the pictures transferred to your iphone or android smart phone in seconds.

"Man, the iPhone is a great phone with a good camera camera. Nokia is a great camera with a bad phone."

In another post of yours you stated the iPhone 5S' camera is going to be great so I'm not sure if you are impartial / unbiased. To put it mildly.

"Why would anyone buy this phone anyway? If you want a real camera, spend 300 bucks and get any of the new pocket digital cameras with 10 or 20 X optical zooms, full manual controls and real flashes and even built-in Wi-Fi."

One word: convergence. This is why we need as good cameras in our phones as possible.

@menneisyss I am extremely happy with my iPhone 5 and the quality photos i get out of it. I meant to say the bigger sensor and the faster aperture should improve it a lot and for one, I can't wait! Friday, I will be in line at 4am at the Apple Store in Miami Beach. I do it every year since 2007. It's a fun tradition and awesome to be one of the first to get the iPhone. Yes, I am biased. ;)

" I do it every year since 2007. It's a fun tradition and awesome to be one of the first to get the iPhone. "

Lol, I did the same up until (and including) the iPhone 5 and the iPad 3 :)

I think the 5s will be the first iPhone I won't line up for. Some Android handsets (LG G2 and prolly even the supercheap Nexus 5) are so much more suitable for me because of their vastly superior hardware (including many camera features - but not necessarily the IQ) and openness. Android has indeed become extremely nice, unlike up to, say, mid-late 2012 (the GS3, Nexus 10 and other hardware already on par with iPhones), when Apple still have maintained their lead with even us hardcore geeks.

You can get anyone to use your device and say anything about it if you throw enough money at it. From pop stars like Katy Perry to photographers for Vogue. The more desperate you are, the more money you throw. HTC has already sunk billions on Robert Downey Jr., even though their company and device portfolio is imploding. I've seen stunning photoshoots with the iPhone 3GS. It's all about lighting and preparation and professionalism. I am not impressed that Nokia and Microsoft continue to use misleading and/or distasteful marketing ploys when the actual Lumia 1020 phone isn't so hot and the camera quality is overblown compared to other phone cameras.

The desperate ones are clearly all who think like you. Skeptics have been around forever and they always, always, lose. Photography is forever evolving. Embrace technology people! Or get out of the way.

Hmm... how can you compare Robert Downey to David Bailey in photography field? If you think they are equal, I don't have anything more to say. I don't see anything wrong to ask real photographers to try the 1020. That's better than Samsung asking Usain Bolt to show off how nice is their cameras. Funny thing is people may listen to Bolt's advice more than David Bailey.

Nonetheless, when you're paying someone, professional or not, chances are they aren't going to say your product is crap. I'm not saying the Lumia phones are crap, but you're only going to hear the good things out of these scenarios, and usually in a hyperbolic manner at that.

Excellent compositions and subject matter. l would like to see them do this in other cities....regardless of the camera used. Off-the-cuff about daily life, there pictures seemingly paint a more realistic picture of daily life in Harlem than that which I often garnered from reading stories in newspapers and magazines.

Nothing different, IMO. And jeh, tilting horizons is a resource for those who doesnt have one. Unless you are shooting HAITI, after the earthquake (a magnum photographer did that), then it makes sense. Or if you are a female teenager shooting at the mirror. :)

Why should they? They have something REALLY unique and unmatched. Why should they stop making CAMERAphones?

For example, Apple still has a, compared to the 1020 / 808, pretty pathetic camera in their iPhones. The only advantage of the iPhone 5, photo-shooting wise, is the much shorter shoot-to-shoot times.

Samsung, while their camera in the S4 is considerably better than that of the iPhone 5, is still weaker than that of the 1020 (no OIS, for example).

Even LG, the only manufacturer with an OIS with a decent camera (the latter - and the outdated hardware - ruling out the HTC One), seems to include somewhat worse cameras in their LG G2 than that of the 1020, apart from the 1080p60 video mode.

A an established, recognized and "famous" photographer that doesn't "do digital" was breathtaking-impressed with "the level of detail you can capture using a Nokia Lumia 1020" ?

I hope they have paramedics on-the-ready by this Dino-photgrapher side when Keith Richards snorts the wrong persons ashes and Bailey finally picks up a current DSLR to register Mick Jagger's fat-lips-sync-twisting over the incident.

"Bailey, famous for his photographs of celebrities including The Beatles, Mick Jagger and Jack Nicholson, told The Daily Mail: "the level of detail you can capture using a Nokia Lumia 1020 is nothing short of breathtaking."

Gee.... I wonder the fact Nokia PAID him to use it has got anything to do with it.

However the Nokia 808 DOES have a tad BETTER camera.Now if they released a Nokia 808 with android, watch Nokia become KING again, but NO sadly Nokia was STUPID enough to trust MICROSOFT & in the end Nokia DIED!

Nokia how did you manage to be so STUPID?! I gave you TONS Of advice, MAYBE just MAYBE you would of better LISTENED.

Perhaps if Baiey tried the Pureview 808, he may like it more than the 1020. But 808 doesn't has OIS and it is thicker than the 1020. Everything has a trade off. My dream camera is a full frame on a typical 4.3" screen, thin as S4 but includes a 20x zoom like the Sony WX300. It can take 1080p video at 120fps, and 720p at 480p.